Apparatus for promoting muscular or physical development.



PATENTED MAY 29,

F. M. GLEASE. APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING MUSGULAR 0R PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTUE.

FREDERlCK MEREDITH CLEASE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING MUSCULAR 0R PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratented May 29, 1906.

Application filed November 16, 1905. serial No. 287,632.

1'0 aZZ whom, zltmay concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MEREDITH CLEAsE, a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 78 Ebury street, Belgravia, London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Apparatus for Promoting Muscular or Physical Development, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to exercising apparatus of the kind in which strong elastic cords of rubber or of inelastic material attached to springs or weights are fitted with handles and so arranged that the person using the apparatus by pulling on the handles in various directions and postures extends the rubber or the springs or raises the weights, and thereby exercises the respective muscles of the body, with consequent muscular or physical development. Many formsof this kind of apparatus have been proposed; but the present invention relates to a special type adapted to afford special exercise of the extensor muscles of the back and legs and of the muscles of the neck and in which type of apparatus elastic cords are suspended from harness worn over the shoulders or from a cap worn on the head and passed through pulleys on stirrups for the feet, the ends of the cords being provided with hand-grips.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of'the last-mentioned type which can be adjusted to enable the severity of the exercise to be varied or to adapt the apparatus to individuals of various heights and which is so arranged that the elastic cords may be easily detached, if desired, and used as an ordinary well-known form of chest-expander or the like.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 illustrates one form of the complete apparatus provided with stirrups, while Fig. 2 illustrates a modification wherein the cords pass around pulleys attached to the floor. Fig. 3 illustrates a strap or cap adapted to be placed on the head and used with the apparatus.

In carrying out the invention according to one mode one end of a collar a, of cord, webbing, elastic or otherwise, or any other suitable material, is attached to, while the other end is passed through, a cleat I). To'the latter end two elastic cords c c are attached by shackles c and an eye o The cords c are passed through pulleys (Z (Z and fitted with suitable handles or grips g g. The pulleys d d are attached to stirrups c e. The elastic cords may be of rubber covered with fabric or of inelastic material fitted with springs.

The apparatus is used by placing the collar a over the head so that it rests around the base of the .neck or on the shoulders, the feet are placed in the stirrups e e, and the handles 9 g are gripped in the hands. The latter are then pulled either alternately or simultaneously, so as to draw the collar tightly across the shoulders and over the chest in order to set up a resistance of the extensor muscles of the chestwall and arms and also of the extensor muscles of the back and legs. The body may be simultaneously worked or moved, as desired.

Instead of stirrups the pulleys (Z d may be attached to a hook j, Fig. 2, or other fasten- I ing in the floor.

When it is required to vary the severity of the exercise or to adapt the apparatus to individuals of various heights, the cleat I) ma be raised or lowered.

In order to adapt the apparatus for exercising the muscles of the neck, a strap or cap of webbing or other suitable material and such as shown in Fig. 8 is placed over the head and the cords c c suspended from it in a similar manner to that above described with reference to the collar. The exercise inthis case is made with the head, either backward, forward, or sidewise, the pull with the hands being made either upward or outward.

It is obvious that the cords c c, with the handles 9 g, may be detached from the pulleys d d and collar a or cap, the shackles c being attached to extra eyes g on the handles 9 and used as an, ordinary chest-expander or other well-known form of exerciser.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an exercising apparatus, a flexible body-engaging member, a cleat carried by one end of the flexible member through which the other end of the member passes for ad- I the body-engaging member and hand-grasps justing said member, means adapted to be encarried by the cords. 1o gaged by the feet and a connection between In witness whereof I have hereunto set my the body member and the foot member. hand in presence of two witnesses.

5 2. In an exercising apparatus, a flexible i FREDERICK MEREDITH CLEASE.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN,

W. J. Nonwoon.

body-engaging member, means carried by one end of the member engaging the member to form an adjustable loop, cords secured to 

